Rhapsody
by InPerfectSilence
Summary: Rhapsody: a free-form, episodic yet integrated form.  Ike and Zelda are forced on what seems like a harmless trek to Dorland. Little do they know that the fate of Modia is in their hands when conspiracy is revealed. But how do you stop a conspiracy?
1. Prelude

**AN: I won't make this too long. First off, yes, I have two fics currently on hiatus. Hopefully this one will go somewhere. Secondly, this is actually a very serious story, so bear with me here. Disclaimer: None of the characters belong to me.**

**Prelude: An introduction to succeeding works that are usually longer and more complex.**

Ike gasped and wiped the sweat off his brow with the back of his hand. He gave himself one glimpse of his handiwork, before setting his hammer against it once more. He still had a lot of work to do if the blade were to be perfect. _His _sword. His very own sword to keep, not sell to one of the sketchy looking men who all so often sought to buy his father's wares.

The white-hot blade hissed and bubbled in the water when Ike dipped it in. Almost immediately it cooled to a bearable temperature. He lifted the metal out carefully with his tongs and placed it on the bench. Lifting his hammer once more, he prepared for yet another round.

The Mage guild stood proudly in the square. There were no other buildings around except the Mage Guild, because it was so grand it took up all the space. The red flags fluttered proudly, depicting the symbol of the Lydian Mages, the Green Orb. At least four stories high, the Guild was indeed an awesome sight to behold.

If one had been looking towards the top of the magnificent building, one would have seen a shape, a shadow flicker and scale the opposite wall. Of course, one would not have though much of it.

If one were to have looked closely at the silhouette, one would have noticed the figure was completely covered from head to toe with unusual tight-skinned clothing, a cowl wrapped around its head and covering all but a fuzz of blonde hair and a single green eye. But, of course, there was no-one watching at that particular moment, so the person went unnoticed.

That person skulked in the shadows behind the Guild. She had done this so many times; she lost count a long time ago. Smirking beneath her face cover, she glanced down at the scroll she held in her hand to make sure it was still with her. She sighed in relief. With a simple twist of the seal, she opened the scroll to reveal its contents. The seal showed it was a Necrotic Spell, and the scroll itself was a Spell of Wound Healing. Perfect.

The person sat down in the safety of the shadows and began memorising the Lyrics. Usually, in the Guild, it would take a whole day, but she had found a way to circumnavigate that. By memorising key Lyrics, she could know the Spell. It was risky, but with her talent, she had nothing to worry about. Before she could even memorise the first Lyric, however, she heard the clanking of an armoured footstep. She swore under her breath, tucked the scroll through her belt and dashed across the laneway to another alley. It would be a long time before she could find a quiet place to rest.

Ike admired his handiwork. The golden blade reflected the sun that shone through the only window in the workshed. He tilted it, and when he found no imperfections, he laid it down to rest.

"Ike! Get your sorry hide down here!"

Ike grumbled and did as he was bid, slipping out of the warehouse and into the shop his father owned.

Greil was a big man. Born a blacksmith, his arms were well toned and very strong. His strong chin and tousle of dark hair complemented his tallness and the smith apron he always wore. Greil was also a well liked man, for despite his gruff appearance, he was a jovial and kind-hearted fellow. He was also Ike's father.

Ike sheepishly poked his head into the shop, not meeting his father's gaze.

"Ike, I'm going out to get some supplies for a while. Man the shop, would you? And for Palutena's sake, be sensible, alright?" When Ike nodded, Greil smiled, his weathered face disappearing for a moment, only to be replaced by his stern, hard look. "Be good now."

Ike cupped his chin in his palm, his elbows resting on the bench. As the only blacksmith in this part of Lyd, Ike would have thought there would be customers. But there wasn't. So he waited. Ike estimated that about one hour had passed, judging by the suns position in the sky. Ike felt his eyes about to grow heavy with sleep, when something came crashing into the counter, slid underneath it and sat, pressed up to the bench, panting and listening.

"What in Lydia…?" Ike exclaimed, waking with a start and whipping his head to look for the intruder.

"Shh!" said the person behind the counter. Ike contorted his features in confusion, but snapped to attention when he saw two guards marching towards him. They wore red and bore helms depicting a dragon head, the symbol of the Emperor. Why were Imperial guards walking towards him? Ike felt sweat prickle on his forehead. Suddenly having a brainwave, Ike pretended to lower his guard and keep his cool. The guards got closer and closer until they were standing in front of the counter. Ike did his best to stop his voice from shaking.

"Yes?" Ike said past his fear. "Can I interest you in some fine weaponry?"

The silence was intense. Ike bit his tongue to prevent him from saying something stupid. Finally, the guard spoke.

"We were just wondering if you have seen someone come past here just now. Covered in nomadic clothing, carrying a scroll?"

Ike gulped. His common sense told him to turn in the girl crouched behind the counter, but his conscience told him to lie for her sake.

"Uhh…" Ike's mind churned, trying to come up with something intelligent to say. "No… a lot of people have come past here. I don't have time to, uh, you know, memorise every face that goes by here. Why don't you keep looking?" Ike fervently hoped his lie would pull off.

"Alright then, whatever you say. Good tidings." Said the first guard, and together they marched down the lane. Ike slumped over the countertop and let out breath he was holding. He felt a presence behind him. It was the girl.

"Thank you for not ratting me out back there."

Ike frowned. "Count your lucky stars. What in Lydia would cause those guards to be searching for you?"

The girl held out the scroll. Ike took it and opened it.

"Why, it's gibberish! It isn't even Lydian!"

"Actually," the girl whispered, leaning in. "It is. It's olden Lydian. It's a spell from the Mages guild."

Ike gasped. "Did you seriously- Is that- are you-" Ike slapped his forehead, the sound resonating loudly. "Of course. You've got the green eyes of a magic user!"

The girl nodded sharply, peeked around the corner and ducked back again.

"See you around…"

"Ike. Ike son of Greil."

"See you, Ike!" And with that, she was gone, dashing from shadow to shadow until he could see her no more in the midst of the crowd. Ike sighed and rested his elbows on the counter. What more could possibly happen to make his life more interesting?

At least two whole hours passed before something eventful happened that day. Ike was bored out of his skull, dazed off, his eyes glazing over as he stared at the markets opposite the blacksmith. It was more crowded than before but he crowd only seemed interested in the smith if Greil was there. That was, until a girl of no more than 17, no older than Ike, walked up to the counter and greeted him.

"Wait, who are you?"

The girl pretended to be offended. "You don't recognise me?" She covered one green eye with her blond hair.

"Oh, you're that girl who stole the scroll from the Mages. Now I get why you were in that ridiculous get-up."

A frown settled on the girls face. "They are traditional Lydian Nomad garments." She extended a hand towards Ike, who took it firmly. "I'm Zelda, by the way. Just Zelda is fine."

Ike shook Zelda's hand and slipped his hand back into his pockets. He attempted lamely to start a conversation.

"So, you're a Mage, huh?" Ike looked up at Zelda, who scratched her head.

"Uh, not yet."

"Why not?" Ike asked in genuine confusion.

"The Mage guild only accepts those who have had proper training and verification, and even then only boys. The closest thing I could get to being a Mage is being an Alchemist. And don't fancy being one of them. It's stupid, but that's why I steal their scrolls." Zelda caught Ike's anxious face, and smirked. "I give them back when I'm done. You see, I can't just write it down because the magic can't be written by unauthorised magic users. So I memorise them. Somehow, I don't forget them, like a little box full of spells."  
>Ike gave a dubious look towards Zelda. He was never too big a fan of magic. Too strange, too unpredictable. Much better to whack a few heads in. That was much less confusing.<p>

"Meh, prefer swords myself." Ike scoffed. He raised his chin in semi-defiance. "So… do you- are you, well, born with it? Or is it like a ritual or something?"

Zelda triumphantly tilted the corners of her mouth upwards, as if she were expecting he would ask that.

"Well, I'm actually a full-blood Lydian. The ancient Lydian traditions have been passed down through the generations to me. Not like the fools that make up most of the Mage guild." A look of utter contempt clouded her features. Ike realised how pointed her ears were.

"Then why are you-" Ike caught his tongue before he gave Zelda away. "You know, if you think they are all fools?"

"Because that's the only way I can learn! It's not like I can walk around town asking everyone if they happen to know a full-blood ready to teach a willing pupil!" Zelda lowered her voice and her eyebrows.  
>"Besides, if word got out I was a full-blooded Lydian, I'd have the entire empire looking for me so I can be a part of the Imperial guard-"<p>

"That doesn't sound all that bad."

"You don't understand! I don't want to march from place to place and harm innocent people "To create order". It doesn't seem right!"

"Nothing can be absolutely right all the time." Ike quoted.

"Yes, I know. But I have heard other rumours as well. I have heard that a band of assassins have been wiping all the Lydians out. It sounds realistic, too. And it makes perfect sense." Zelda cleared her throat and moved closer to the counter so as not to disturb anyone.

"A few months ago, there was a fellow named Talon. But that's not important.  
>Talon was a bartender. He was also Lydian. Full-blooded. He'd always wear a cap or hood to hide his pointed ears." At this, Zelda brushed her blonde wispy hair over her own ears to cover them.<br>"But one day, he got a little drunk with his friends, and someone in the bar saw him and spread the rumour to his friends and so on. Soon, the whole district knew about Talon the full-blood. Some people were, and still are, prejudiced against full-bloods, but luckily, most were tolerant.  
>Unluckily, the rumour caught the attention of an Imperial patrol squad situated in the district. The guards knocked on the door to the inn, and asked Talon a few questions. You know, ordinary questions people ask, how much to stay, and so on. Then, one guard asked him if he was interested in joining the Imperial forces as a Mage. He politely declined and the guards left, saying that the Imperial Guard would not offer him any protection if something were to happen. The next night, someone broke into the inn and killed him while he slept. The next morning, the Lydian guards could not decipher what in Lydia had killed him."<p>

Ike frowned and put his finger to his chin. "So this Talon was a magic user?"

"All Lydians are magic users! Not like you Mixolydians. You're lucky if the Lydian blood gives you an inkling of magic.

But that's beside the point. The point is, someone wants Lydians dead, and the Empire wants them alive-"

The bell rang and Ike jumped up and straightened himself.

"Uh, yes. Thank you very much. Good day." He said stately and ushered Zelda away from the smith. Greil walked in just at that moment, clapping his son on the shoulder.

"A good days work, son?"

"No, not really. Not many customers today."

"Ah, well. You must be hungry." Greil's face remained stony and hard, but his eyes denied the hardness his face implied. Ike nodded 'yes' and followed Greil behind the shop to the corner where they had lunch. Ike ravenously tore into his food, not really hearing his father as he spoke.

"Son, I'm going away soon. I- I have to follow up on something. In Aeol. I want you to take care of the shop for me while I'm gone. I would take you with me, but we need the income and your mother isn't around… Oh, look at the sun! Time to make some swords, eh?" Greil nudged Ike in the ribs not so gently.

"And speaking of swords, yours is ready and done!" Ike jumped to his feet, his bread forgotten, and raced for the smithy. Greil laughed heartily and headed for the opposite direction; the house.

The next day, Ike was once again manning the store, bored. The sun was high in the sky, and he should have had lunch ages ago. Just as he was about to doze off, Zelda ran, panting as if she had run a marathon. _Which she probably has._

"What is it, Zelda?"

"The- the guards… they found out…"

Ike's disinterested mood dissolved into one of worry.

"What? You're a full-blood?"

"No! They somehow found out I was the one who stole the Mages scrolls! Someone must have overheard our conversation yesterday!"

Ike's mind raced as he tried to think of a solution. Suddenly, an idea popped into his head.

"I know! If we hide outside the city for a while, the guards hopefully won't be able to follow us! Come on!" Ike exclaimed, tugging at Zelda's wrist. Then, he stopped.

"Wait, wait, if my father gets home and we aren't here… Stay there." Ike pointed to the ground at Zelda's feet and ran back to the shop, scrawling with a spare quill on a scrap of paper that he was going out to buy some supplies and should be back by dusk. He gathered a small pile of supplies that the shop sold and after a moments contemplation, went to grab his sword as well. But it was in the smithy. The sound of clanking armour snapped him back to reality. The guards were already hot on their heels!

"Damn!" Ike cursed aloud. He could risk going and getting his sword, but the guards might find Zelda. He could run back to Zelda now, but he didn't want to leave his sword here, in case it got stolen. On the other hand, Zelda had enough initiative to run and hide for a while. Either way, he had to hurry and make use of the time he had left.

Sprinting as fast as he could, Ike managed to fling the door of the smithy open, locate his golden sword, take it and its scabbard and leave the place in less than a minute. Ike just managed to find Zelda sitting on the front porch of a market and drag her away when a pair of guards clanked around the corner.

"That's her! And look, there's someone helping her! Get them both!"

Ike ran as fast as he could. He was no athlete, not like Zelda, who could keep up with him even in her dress. They dodged around corners, cut through throng of people that stepped aside for them, and ducked into the tightest alleys they could find. The guards always managed to stay within hearing distance, no matter how hard they tried to shake them off.

"Quick! They're headed for the city gates! Someone! Close the gates!" yelled one guard, and the other one blew a horn, three notes descending. Ike looked up and saw the great gates of Lyd.

"We're almost there!" he panted. Zelda nodded in return, and sprinted faster. Ike heard a loud noise, like giant cogs spinning.

"The gate is closing!" shouted Zelda above the noise. "What are we to do?"

Ike faltered in his pace. He daren't look back in case he was caught, so the only way was…

"Forwards! Let's see if we can make it!"

Together, the two teens neared the gate, which was closing. It was closing slowly, but that was still too fast for Ike. He grunted as he tried to make his tired legs run faster and he felt beads of sweat appear on his forehead. The gate was getting ever so closer to the ground. Ike and Zelda both pumped their arms harder and harder as they heard the clanking of the guards armour getting louder as presumably more guards joined the pursuit.

_Like a pack of hounds and the foxes. And we're the foxes._

Ike and Zelda, Zelda first, slid under the gate as it closed, kicking up the dust from the cobblestone road. The gate slammed down and the guards were locked inside. Ike and Zelda didn't stop running until they found a shady tree to sit under. Ike flopped to the ground, panting and wheezing for breath while Zelda leaned against the tree, gasping in air like a fish.

"That… was quite… exhilarating." Ike said through gasps. Zelda nodded silently. After Ike could catch his breath, he spoke again.

"Wait, what guards were following us? Were they Lydian or…?"

"They were, uh, Imperial… Why?"

Ike put his finger and thumb to his temples. "If they were Imperial guards, then the Emperor will hear about it." Ike groaned.

"And then there will be wanted posters up all over Dorland. So what? This is Lydia. Dorland is far west from here." Zelda said, puzzled. Ike bit his lip in concern and placed the sack of belongings that they had down on the grass beside him.

"If the Empire is here, and I don't mean travellers or merchants, then perhaps the Empire is in more places than we think. I always thought the king was the ruler of Lydia… Of course he still is, but the Emperor has control over his guards even if they are in another country… I was never good at politics, but I don't remember there being any Imperial guards in Lydia."

"Ike," Zelda said in a hushed tone. "Perhaps it's just in Lyd. There was a peace treaty just recently. There isn't any law that says the Emperor can't have troop garrisoned in Lydia if he is on friendly terms with our king." Zelda looked up at the cloud formations, her eyes glazing over with anxiety.

"But now that I think about it, it is a little odd. In my classes at school, I learned that Dorland has had no need for any army at all in the last few years. Not for any great reason. So why would they all of a sudden lock down on Lydia, and possibly other places too, and try to recruit magic users for their army if there is no need?"

Ike digested what Zelda had said for a moment. "Well," he started slowly. "Perhaps they are afraid. You said they were looking for full bloods, right? Then you told me that all full bloods were magical, but not all magical people were full bloods." Ike ignored Zelda's dissatisfaction at his mentioning of 'magical people'. "Right now you say they were looking for magic users. Which one are they actually looking for?"

Zelda frowned, then opened her mouth, but decided better and closed it. "I'm not entirely sure. But surely you'd think that if they were looking for magic users in general they would have noticed my, or Talon's, for that matter, green eyes?"

"What does that have to do with it?"

"Green eyes show that magical blood runs through your veins. Mine are exceptionally so."

"Aha! I have a theory. I was never any good at those, but now I feel like I sort of have to come up with something. My theory is that the Empire is afraid of being under attack. You said they haven't used their army in years? Well, perhaps they have grown cautious and wary and are cracking down on security measures. That's why they are recruiting fighters."

Zelda sighed. "It still doesn't explain why they need Lydians specifically. They could go to the Mage guild and ask. And if they were making higher security measures, why would there still be Imperial guards in Lydia? The most realistic thing to do in that situation would be to use all the troops you can possibly get."

"… Maybe having troops in Lydia reduces the chance of Lydia laying siege to Dorland? I mean, we are bigger the Dorland by far, and we have the best quality magic users."

"That's actually a valid point. I can't believe I never thought of that myself. Where were you educated?"

"Uh, if you mean where I went to school, well, I didn't." Ike admitted. Zelda responded with a flabbergasted look.

"Really? Fancy that, not going to school…" Zelda opened the bag of supplies Ike had grabbed on his way out and shuffled through the items inside. She pulled out a flint and tinder and two rolled up blankets. They were not the most luxurious, and they were a little thin, but they would have to do. She handed the tinderbox to Ike, who stood up with a groan and grudgingly went to find some twigs and sticks for a fire. With the sun already skimming the horizon, it was best they set up camp for the night and return to Lyd in the morning.

**AN: First chapter done! A bit weird, but bear with me until you can read more of it. Then it will make sense.  
>Review, as always, and tell me what you think! Or this may never get going!<strong>

**Later.**


	2. Mobile

**This chapter has a long A/N towards the bottom of the page. The rest of the A/N will be on my Authors Page.**

**Disclaimer: You know the drill.**

**Mobile: Flexible, changeable**

Ike stretched his arms, numb and sore from having slept on such uncomfortable ground. For a moment he was confused as to where he was, but soon the events of yesterday flooded his memory and he groaned stiffly. He noticed as Zelda arched like a cat, touching the scroll at her side in reassurance. Zelda sighed and got to her feet, looking for all the world at least eighty years old. Ike helped Zelda pack up camp and put out the smouldering fire.

"Time to head back, I think." Ike stated. "We should be off the hook now. I wonder if my father is home." He thought out loud. Zelda nodded her approval and together they trudged back, slower than before, towards the tall gates of Lyd.

It took at least half an hour to get close enough to the gates to make out the guards that should have been patrolling the walls. Ike narrowed his eyes.

"Something's missing…" Ike clenched his jaw and slowed his pace by two whole steps.

"The guards!" Zelda hissed for Ike's ears alone. "Why aren't they patrolling? It's late morning; they should have double patrols! Who's going to let the gate up for us? And what if they recognise us?"

Ike pulled out, from the rucksack, a cloth meant for wrapping provisions and ripped it in two. He handed one half to Zelda and used the other to wrap around his head to cover his blue-purple hair. Zelda did likewise, also obscuring her pointed ears. As they approached the gates, however, no guard greeted them or even looked at them. In fact there were no guards, or any civilians, within line of sight. The solemn gate barred their way, refusing to budge and glistening almost condescendingly at the pair. Ike had to crane his neck to even see the top of the gate. The portcullis was raised, as if the town were preparing to meet someone. Ike took a few tentative steps forward. Nobody halted him or said a word. Ike pressed his palm against the metal gate. It was already hot. He pushed. Nothing happened. He shoved with all his weight, but the gate was solid and did not give way.

"Zelda, don't you have a Spell that could open this door?"

Zelda furrowed her brow, but shook her head no. "I don't think so. Spells don't unlock doors."

Ike gave up trying to force the door open and attempted to pick the gigantic lock. His tongue stuck out in concentration.

"Unless… if I perhaps used a Spell to melt the lock… but that might not work. I could use a Levitation Spell… but I don't know how…" Zelda paced back and forth, racking her brain for a solution. Neither Ike nor Zelda noticed when they began to gather a small audience.

"I could use Spell to freeze the lock. Maybe the lock will break… and…" Zelda trailed off as she felt the back of her neck prickle. She turned around and gasped in shock. Ike instantly stopped what he was doing and did the same.

Behind them was a band of Imperial guards.

And they held weapons.

They didn't look very happy.

Ike grabbed Zelda wrist and this time she was ready. She bolted after him as the guards followed suit.

"Damn! They were waiting for us!" Ike cursed.

"Oh, really? What made you think that?" said Zelda, her voice dripping with sarcasm. They didn't say anything more as they pumped their legs faster in a vain attempt to outrun the fully-trained adult guards. Ike lost hope when red and black began to roll over the hill ahead. Another battalion of Imperial troops. The soldiers, not the guards.

Ike and Zelda veered off to the left, towards a solitary tree and a clump of undergrowth. If they could reach that in time, they just might have a chance of outrunning them.

The rolling hills and long blades of grass were what made Lydia. Most of it was plains. Apart from the occasional low-branched tree, it was quite solitary.

Of course, Zelda and Ike had no time to soak in the scenery as they ran away from the Imperial forces. They were catching up fast…

Ike slid under a bush, the thorn catching at his clothes and drawing blood. He crawled as fast as he could under the hedges. It wasn't much, but hopefully the guards wouldn't care to look in a thorn bush. He just hoped Zelda followed his example. There was a deathly silence and Ike's breathing started to regain its steadiness. It was just too loud. Ike swore his heart was beating louder than a festival drum. A whole minute passed, and the bush Ike was in was not disturbed at all. He sucked at his thumb were a thorn had cut deep and blood was oozing out steadily. He jumped when he heard a yelp. It was muffled, but definitely feminine. He crawled on his belly as fast as he could and listened again. There it was. Zelda.

Ike sprinted back the way he had come, knowing the guards would get out onto the plains where they had the advantage of free movement. He caught a glimpse of guards pulling a struggling figure after them. It was definitely Zelda.

Ike ran after them, but one of them had a horse and swung a now unconscious Zelda over the saddle. The rest of the troop followed, forgetting about the other prosecutor entirely. Ike felt sick. He didn't know what to do. He couldn't go home, he could fight them, but if he didn't the man on the horse would gallop away faster than he could run. There were no extra horses and no way could he get to Dorland before them, which was probably where they were going. In despair, he decided to follow the band from a distance, watching them for his chance. He didn't know what chance that would be, but he waited anyway. As he predicted, the horseman galloped off, but something happened that he didn't predict. An Imperial wagon was trundling along. The horse was tethered next to the first horse and Zelda was thrown in the back with three guards. The rest marched away to the north, towards Lyd. Ike could no longer see Lyd past the hills. He had never been this far from home alone before. A feeling of loneliness and homesickness rushed over him, like a dam had broken within his stomach, which was now threaten to heave, but he shook himself as would dog and forced himself into action. He trudged after the wagon. It was travelling along a well-used road. If he just followed it, he could get to Dorland. Perhaps a little late, but better late than never. So he did. It was just his luck that when the sun had travelled two finger widths across the pale sky, a travellers caravan trotted beside him. He flagged down the driver.

"Excuse me, sir? Do you happen to be going to Dorland?" Ike asked with as much innocence and courage as he could muster.

"Yes, I be headin' in tha' gen'ral d'rection. Do ye wan' a lif'?"

Ike thanked the driver and made himself comfortable in the hay in the back of the wagon. There were sacks of things Ike had seen in the market; salt, hay, straw, flour, typical merchant stock. There was one bag the driver sternly told him not to touch. It smelt oddly of something from the Alchemy store down the lane from Greil's blacksmith.

Ike wasn't keeping track of time, but he slept twice in the caravan, and stopped once when the horses rested and stretched. The scenery changed from rolling plains to wet, lush grassland. They were approaching a river. The driver called back from his place at the reins.

"'Ey, youngster! No' gon' ask wha' yer doin' out 'ere by yerself, but I must warn ye tha' I only go as far as Riverton. If ye wan', I can make a deetou' as far as Hyppodor. I' could be good fer my business, if ye get me sayin'."

Ike had to ask where these towns were, never having been to Dorland before. The driver laughed heartily.

"So, ne'er been to Dorland? Well, the river is jus' up ahead. The ri'er Lyd. Bootiful clear water. Riverton is jus' on th' river's edge, if ye get me sayin'. Hyppodor is a wee bit further north. Bigger town. No' as big as Lyd, though. If ye keep walkin' North, and a wee bit West, ye should find yerself in Dorian, th' capi'al city o' Dorland itself. 'At's where the Emperor lives, so I've been told. Ifin it's somethin' yer lookin' fer, it's there. I can't drop ye off there. Have to find some'un else."

When the driver arrived at Hyppodor, Ike thanked the driver again, pressed a few coins into his hand and ran for the nearest inn. The driver secretly smiled to himself.

"Ah, young'uns. Not like in my days. Not a' all."

Ike crept quietly into the inn. It was slightly dusty, and a few round tables were vacant. The rest were full of men who had obviously seen a lot in their life. Some of them looked up at Ike with a piercing, one-eyed gaze. When they found nothing of interest, they went back to playing cards or talking over their ale.  
>The bartender was a man with a thick beard and a cloth wrapped around his head as the northern desert peoples would. He brandished a mug.<p>

"What'll it be today?"

Ike asked for a simple ale and sat down at an empty table. He sipped the bitter beverage, screwing up his face at the roughness on his throat.

"Your first?" a voice from beside him said, bemused. Ike whipped around to face a young man with chocolate hair and a sword at his hip. He eyed Ike's own sword, strapped to his back.

"Huh?"

"Your first. Ale. You get used to it." The man took a seat next to Ike. He sipped his own mug.

"Icarus."

"Pardon?"

"My name. Icarus. You can call me that."

"And I'm, uh…" Ike held his tongue and said the first name that came to mind. "Talon." Ike mentally slapped himself for his embarrassing slip-up. Icarus didn't seem to mind.

"Talon… huh. Sounds Lydian. Are you Lydian?"

Ike stiffened. "I come from Lydia, yes… but I'm, uh, Aeolian as well." At least that wasn't a lie.

"Ah. You travel? Actually, don't answer that. Don't want to intrude, you know?"

"It's fine. Say, you seen Imperial guard pass through here?"

Icarus was visibly puzzled, if Ike were to judge him by his eyebrow and downturned mouth. "Lots. Any in particular?"

Ike shrugged in a fallacy of carelessness. "Maybe… a full battalion? Or a wagon?"

"Let me see… Not that I heard of. No wagons through here. The road is a way away from here."

Ike tried again. "What about a man on a horse?"

"More specific."

"Er, a hostage?"

Icarus reeled back as if struck and leaned in to whisper to Ike, "Don't speak badly about the Empire! They protect us! If you undermine them, well, riots, you know? And you'll have to be put away for treason. Not fun. Jail, I mean. Not that treason is… I mean it can be, I wouldn't do it personally, but I know people who might…"

Ike stood up abruptly and cut off Icarus as he spoke.

"Good tidings. And thank you for your time." Ike strode out of the inn, leaving his ale half full on the table.

Rain tumbled down from a grey-black sky, foreboding a storm. Ike mumbled as he pulled his shirt around him. He would need better clothes than this.

Ike stepped into the bazaar where a big almost bald man greeted him. Ike bought himself a dark brown cloak. He remembered Zelda, and bought a hooded cloak of a mottled grey. Both cloaks came to two imperials. Ike had no idea what that was, so he shoved some gold pieces on the table and sauntered out of the bazaar. The man was puzzled.

Ike, now donned with a cloak that would hopefully detract attention, walked as briskly as he could without altogether running. He stumbled across a stable, which he went in to. Unfortunately for him, the stableman would not accept Lydian coins, and one horse costed 50 imperials.

"That's 50 imperials, sonny. Or 100 royals, if ya prefer. In Lydian terms, that's about 80 gold pieces. If ya don't have that money, then scram!"

Ike scrammed as fast as he could. A voice nagged him at the back of his mind. It was saying to take a horse for a bit. After all, it _was _a matter of life and death. Sneaking around to the back of the stables, Ike eyed the horses. Most of them were war-horses, not the kind Ike though he could ride. The very last horse was fidgeting and threatening to whinny. It was mottled with a white mane and tail, and was half the size of the other horses. Ike tried to shush it, but it was too feisty. Fortunately, it liked apples a lot.

Ike found the bridle that matched the horse and strapped it on. The horse looked at him through one fiery eye as if in challenge. Ike took up the challenge and seated himself on the saddle.

"Come on, giddyup." He said as forcefully as he could in a whisper. The horse trotted forwards slowly at a walking pace. As soon as the stable was far enough away to be out of earshot, the horse quickened pace to a slow canter. Ike gritted his teeth as the horse jolted him about like a sack of potatoes.

"Woah, slow down… horse." He said, but the horse took no notice. It was bounding for the city entrance.

Ike and the horse passed a squad of Imperial guards. For a fleeting moment, Ike felt his stomach contort in anxiety, but it passed when the Imperial guards didn't give him a second glance. Ike couldn't help but feel like a criminal with the stolen horse, though.

_Whatever, I already have 'helping a full-blooded thief steal from the biggest department in Lyd and escape' on my criminal records list. I just hope the stableman doesn't notice his horse is gone any time soon._

The horse picked up speed the closer the city entrance got. Ike felt like he was going to fall off at any time. The horse, with a triumphant leap, cleared the city and nearly bucked Ike off the saddle. Luckily, Ike got control of the horse and turned the rein sharply right to follow the well-trodden path that the wagon had most likely travelled. The horse grudgingly obeyed for the moment. Ike could almost feel them catching up to the slow moving wagon.

When the sun disappeared behind the horizon, the horse naturally stopped and shook its mane, declaring it did not like darkness. Ike was bucked off and onto the spongy grass. The horse simply nibbled at the grass in content. Ike tied the reins to a nearby stump and sighed as he searched for firewood. He came back empty-handed, sore, and with bruises all the way up his legs. He couldn't be bothered with the sleeping bag tonight; he was too sore and tired. He just lay on the grass. He was asleep before his head touched the ground.

Ike and the horse cantered along the path. The sun was exactly halfway across the sky, which Ike remembered was about the midday, if time was the same as Lydia. The scenery was very different from Lydia and its plains. There were trees and tiny woods, not nearly as grand as the northern Lydia wood. Ike slumped over the saddle, too tired to even care how bruised his legs were going to be. He was thinking about how to get money without stealing it like he had the horse. All he had left was a handful of tin pieces, enough to get small provisions but nothing else.

Two riders were also riding along the track behind Ike, at exactly the same speed. Ike's horse whinnied and tried to swerve, but Ike gripped the reins and tugged as hard as he could. The horse snorted and picked up the pace again. Ike snuck a glance behind him. There was one rider close enough for him to make out the brown and once-white clothes he wore, marking him as a simple traveller. The other was a way behind, wearing a black hooded robe the covered his entire body and cast shadows on his face. His horse was a midnight black and was at least twice as big as Ike's pony. Ike bit his lip and tried to take the road left, but his horse wouldn't obey and went on straight ahead. The first traveller veered left, but the cloaked one remained on Ike's road, and was catching up fast.

"Hiya!" Ike flicked the reins. The horse needed no more prompting, and galloped as fast as it could. Ike had to lean forwards and stand on the stirrups if he didn't want to be bucked off. The stranger also picked up speed. Unfortunately, his horse was much faster than Ike's and he was almost beside him in a matter of seconds. Ike's horse shook its mane at the black horse, who knocked into Ike and nearly made him lose his footing. The cloaked stranger seemed to take no notice.

"Hey! You don't just go up to random strangers and bump into them while their riding! Who do you think you are?" Ike shouted above the whipping wind and neighing horses.

The stranger looked up at Ike and the shadows parted from his face, one eye a piercing green and the other a deep brown. Ike was knocked to the ground by the stranger, who also jumped off his horse. The well-trained horse stood its ground, but Ike's horse bolted North. Ike scrambled to his feet and drew his sword. It was a lot heavier than he thought. The stranger drew his own weapon, a silver rapier that was paper-thin. He pointed the tip at Ike. In turn, Ike blocked his body with his much thicker blade.

The man stabbed forward, and met metal instead of flesh. Ike grunted at the surprising amount of force behind the delicate sword. Before Ike could recuperate, the sword flashed at his left and he only just sidestepped in time. Swords clashed and echoed throughout the forest. The stranger's sword was much faster, but Ike had the advantage of a huge shield to hide behind.

It was obvious who was winning as the stranger pushed Ike back against a tree. Ike felt sweat bead on his brow as he struggled just to lift his sword in time to protect himself from the lightning fast rapier. Then Ike realised the stranger wasn't even breaking a sweat. He was _toying_ with him. In a sudden burst of anger, Ike lashed out with his sword and nicked the stranger in his side. A metallic clang denied him contact but the stranger stumbled ever so slightly. It was all Ike needed. With a flick of his wrist, he threw his sword in the cloaked stranger's direction and rolled to the side, dodging past him to the black horse that stood calmly beside the path. With a grunt, Ike heaved himself onto the horses back and kicked it in the ribs. The horse would budge and neighed at him. Ike growled in frustration and whipped the reins. The stranger now had his sword and sheathed the rapier. He was unfazed by the attempt to take his horse. Ike was slightly unsettled. It was as if the stranger expected him to steal his horse. Was it a trap? Ike shook off such thoughts and slapped the horse's rump with his palm. The horse whinnied, reared up on its hind legs and sprinted forwards instinctively to get away from the pain. A quick glance over his shoulder, and Ike could see the person standing in the clearing, holding Ike's own golden sword and staring impassively through his twin-coloured eyes. Ike knew that those eyes meant something, but in the panic of the moment the knowledge escaped him. Right now he had to find Zelda, and the Imperial guard with the horse who took her.

The midnight horse shuddered and halted to a stop suddenly. Ike lost his footing and tumbled off the horse and onto the stony ground. His cloak was tattered and his torn clothes peeked through. He felt as though his legs were going to burn off if he walked any farther. He didn't bother to sit up, even as the ebony steed galloped away. He was just too tired…

Ike awoke at the call of a bird. He looked up. The moon was bright and the stars twinkled high in the night sky. Groaning, he sat up and rubbed his head. Where was his rucksack? His sword?  
>Then he remembered. His sword was taken by a stranger with one green and one brown eye. His rucksack was tied to the bridle of the black horse he stole from the stranger, if someone hadn't already taken it. A pit opened up in Ike's stomach and he felt his last hope drop out. Even if there was a way to find Zelda, he had nothing. And if he managed to find a town for supplies, he would miss Zelda. Getting up, he hobbled along the path, after riding for so long, his legs felt awkward and sore. If he were to ride again, he would really need proper riding gear.<p>

He walked till he reached a crossroad. The signpost was barely readable, but he could make out that the nearest town was to the left, which was slightly more South than he would have liked, but so be it. The road ahead was smooth and well-used; the track had no sharp stones or bumps, and the walk was moderately comfortable. Ike wished he was back home with his father. Of course, Lyd was several leagues away. Possibly, it was more than several hundred, or even a thousand. Ike never was good with large distances. If Greil was home, he would be worried about him. Ike very nearly turned back then and there. However, something drove him forward. Perhaps it was the fact that he had already proved himself a criminal and couldn't show up in Lyd again; perhaps it was the fact that Zelda was taken by Imperial guard and he felt responsible for her safety. Whatever the reason, Ike made it to the village that night out of pure determination, shakily walked to an inn and found a room to sleep in and food to eat, when he should have rested for the night. Despite the odd looks he got from the village-folk, nothing bothered him that night but his dreams.

_Ike was at home with his father. He was learning Lydia's history. Suddenly, the scenery changed and Ike stood with a girl he recognised as Zelda. They were fighting shadows that never died, only disappeared. The shadows enveloped him, and all around was blackness. The imperial banner appeared ahead of him, just out of reach. Soldiers took Zelda away, then Greil. Wanted posters with his name on it jeered at him, defaming his name and taunting his weakness. His surroundings turned into a jail cell. Zelda was in the cell next to him in chains. She looked at him with a mix of contempt and sadness._

"_Why didn't you tell me you were a criminal?"_

_The cloaked stranger appeared, piercing into Ike with his green eye. Ike flustered._

"_What are you doing? Where is my sword?" Ike asked. "What are you?"_

_The stranger did nothing but open his mouth wide and say in a snake-like hiss; "Halfbreed."_

_Then the world was sucked away from him and all was dark._

**That was the second installment of Rhapsody. Hope you enjoyed.  
>To Joeb, the anonymous reviewer:<strong>

**Yes, I have twisted canon a bit, but it all works out in the end. I know Ike isn't a blacksmith, but there is character development in this, OK? And in Modia, which is the continent on which everyone here lives on, all magic users have green eyes, and all full-bloods have green eyes.  
>And I have never in my life played a Fire Emblem game, (unless you count the one fight I did, but that wasn't serious or anything) So if this story is similar to Fire Emblem, forgive me. I only know what I got off the wiki.<strong>

**Thanks to Emperor of the Sun and Awemlymoi. (Too lazy to login, huh?) You gave me the encouragement I needed to continue this story. Thanks a lot and keep reading!**

_**All elements of this story besides characters belong to me, AwesomeSaucelv8. Characters belong to Nintendo. I do not give permission for my world to be used without permission.**_

_**This chapter: 4 437 words.**_


	3. Solo

**A/N on my profile**

**Disclaimer: _**All elements of this story besides characters belong to me, AwesomeSaucelv8. Characters belong to Nintendo. I do not give permission for my world to be used without permission.**_**

****Solo: a part that is played by a single instrument or vocalist.****

...

Ike groggily opened his eyes to the beams of yellow sunlight that drifted lazily through the taverns window. He stretched his arms above his head and yawned. He tiptoed as quietly as he could to where his robe had been hung up and pulled the cloak over his head. If he had time, he would have dressed into the clothes the innkeeper had set beside his bed. But there was no time. Any moment now, Imperial troops could come storming in and take him prisoner, just like Zelda. He exited the inn without even rousing the innkeeper and jogged away at a brisk pace in order to keep his stiff limbs moving. His breath made fog that Ike at first thought was steam. He hadn't been this cold for a long time, since he left Aeol! Ike counted himself lucky that he wasn't stuck in a stable or barn like the horses and sheep that he saw as he passed a farm. His thoughts strayed to Zelda. Was she alright? What if the guards were torturing her? Or even worse, what would they do to her once they got to wherever they were going? Where were they going? And how could he get back home? For now, he decided, he should stay away from Lydia as much as possible. But he still felt bad for leaving her to her own accord.

Ike started to run just a little bit faster, until he was fully sprinting down the road, which was now paved with cobblestones. His face was slick with sweat and the cold wind bit at his cheeks. He didn't notice. The thrill of running and the thought of the Imperial guards that were surely with Zelda kept his mind busy. He would have run himself to exhaustion if he had not stumbled on a stone that was slightly uneven and grazed his knee on the road. The pain brought back his senses and he cupped his knee to stop the blood from dripping onto the cobblestone. Looking up, he saw a cart. It was going in the same direction as he, and was almost over the hill ahead. Ike couldn't see over the hill, and had no idea where it lead, and could just make out the shaking timbers of the horse-drawn cart. His heart jumped a little in his chest. That was surely the cart Zelda was in! Ike cried out and stumbled his way over to the cart, which was stopping. Ike was gasping and led a trail of red as he ran. He fumbled across to the front of the cart, not really thinking ahead, worried only about getting Zelda out of there and balancing the scales of justice. Not that he believed in that kind of thing, but now was as good a time as any to use that as an excuse for his actions. He flung open the door and almost yelled Zelda's name, but was instead greeted by a masked figure holding a sword. Ike widened his eyes and tried to stumble backwards, but to strong gauntlets grabbed his wrist and roughly shoved him into the cart. Ike grunted as his body hit the hard wooden floor of the cart. The two guards, for they were indeed Imperial guards, laughed. The one who had grabbed Ike jeered.

"Looks like we found him, eh? And we didn't even break a sweat. We'll take these two to the Scalhi prison. They'll take _good _care of 'em. Hehehe…"

Ike groaned and pulled his body along the floor, but one of the guards caught him and hit him hard on the head with the hilt of his sword. Ike fell to the floor, semi-unconscious. He was dimly aware of the guards shutting the door and a figure leaning over him, eyes full of pity and curiosity. Ike groaned and closed his eyes, his ears still ringing and his eyes aching like it did if he looked at the sun for too long. He decided that the best way to get rid of the migraine was to rest his eyes a bit. He didn't fall asleep at all.

….

The thumping and rattling of the cart brought Ike to his senses. Slumped in the darkest corner of the wagon was someone unfamiliar. The person was wearing trousers and a rough jacket, and had uncut hair. They were snoring loudly. Budging a little closer, Ike saw that the stranger's face was rugged and obviously masculine, judging by his hard cheekbones and unshaven chin. Ike sighed and returned to his uncomfortable position. It definitely wasn't Zelda. Ike found himself wishing he had his sword by his hip. Surely if they were getting sent to prison, the man on the other side of the wagon would be dangerous?

Ike eyed the man warily as he stretched and sat up. The man shuffled a little and glanced at Ike. Their eyes locked. Ike tried his hardest to keep eye contact. At length, he said, "What are you doing here?" Not the most tactful thing he could have said.

"Robbery." The man smiled slyly and fingered his beard. "Chose the wrong person. You?"

Ike froze, his jaw in between open and closed. His heart skipped a beat and his palms prickled.

"Ehm… yea, I just happened across the wrong people." That much was true. Almost.

"Oh."

The man didn't press the matter further. Ike fiddled with his boots, avoiding the man completely. For a fleeting moment, he wondered whether it were possible to escape out the door. He crawled towards it and tried opening a gap in the timberwork. He had to try his hardest not to cry out in pain as his scabbed knees scraped against splintered timbers.

"That won't work."

Ike whipped around, startled. The man was regarding him with a look of amusement sparking in his eye.

"The wagon is just too fast. And the doors sealed shut."

Ike sat back and stared at the door, as if he could intimidate it into moving.

"Well, I might as well introduce myself, if you've stopped trying to telepathically talk to the door."

Ike flushed and turned away, grabbing the outstretched hand.

"Ike."

"Snake."

Ike raised his eyebrows like a question mark. Snake shrugged and curled back into his sleeping position.

"I suggest you rest. If we're gonna try breaking free from this prison, we'll need all the strength we can get."

Ike gasped. Escape from prison? That was unheard of! Unless, of course, this 'Snake' person had experience…

Ike groaned as his feet turned numb and stretched them out. Snake was right. Even if he didn't plan to escape, he would need a bit of rest at least. And perhaps Zelda was being kept here too.

….

Brightness all of a sudden illuminated the dim wagon. Ike shielded his eyes and squinted. The two guards were now accompanied by a third, who was exceptionally tall. Ike gulped.

"Come on, you good-for-nothing…" The guard that spoke didn't finish his sentence. Ike was forcefully grabbed by the wrists, tied in a strong knot and hobbled out of the cart. Snake had the same mistreatment. The guard that jeered at Ike before barked in laughter.

"Welcome to your new home, rats. Scalhi prison."

And as Ike's eyes adjusted to the brightness, he felt the rest of his hope and spirit leave him instantly.

The building ahead of him was made entirely of grey stone. Huge towering walls put Lyd's own walls to shame. A triple gate and portcullis guarded the entry, with slits on either side where guards could presumably watch. But something else made Ike shiver.

The prison was surrounded in desert.

_..._

**Thanks to joebthegreat and Awemlymoi for reviewing. Don't worry, this story is intended to go on for much longer than this.**

**To joeb: I fixed up a few errors in the last chapter. I didn't want to change it too much, though.**

**Keep reading!**

_**This chapter: 1480 words.**_


	4. Soli

**Welcome to another chapter! Thanks to all the reviewers so far, including Awemlymoi, joebthegreat and Sheikagal. Hope I got your names right!**

**Disclaimer: _I own nothing but the plot._**

**Soli: Similar to a solo, but played with more than one instrument or voice, usually of the same kind.**

...

Ike was roughly shoved through the prison gates. Cold, hard eyes looked down at him as he passed, making his neck prickle and his ear prick. The sharp tip of a spear reminded him to keep moving.  
>The group passed through the courtyard, where numerous prisoners looked down as they passed, cheeks sunken, brows knitted. When Ike tried to look one in the eye, the guards snarled and pressed the spear into his back. He kept on going.<p>

When at last the guards pushed Ike inside the prison, he deflated like a balloon. All the corridors were joined with doors, each set of doors guarded by a pair of guards. There were no windows, and each cell was behind a door that seemed to be moveable, seeing as there were cogs to either side of the doors. Ike guessed this was of Ionian craftsmanship. Ionians used a lot of machinery and cogs. Ike's cell, he discovered when he entered, was split in two by iron bars, probably to save space. Two layers of door set Ike apart from the outside world. The door slammed shut, leaving the cell in darkness. A whir from outside the first door told Ike that the mechanical door was closing. Even though he had not seen much machinery in his life, he knew what it was. And so far, his first impression of it was not terribly good.

Ike's eyes took a while to adjust to the darkness, but when he did, he took in his surroundings. He was in a cage, dirt on the floor and bars to his right, with the double doors ahead of him and a tiny streak of light flittering lazily through a barred window above his head. He turned his stiff neck to the right. There was something moving behind those bars…

Ike gulped, hoping that the person hadn't heard it and stood up shakily. His knees, he was sure, were knocking so bad he almost toppled over were it not for his quick reflexes. The shadow on the other side of the bars shifted a little.

"Is… is that you?"

Ike knew that voice. His mind whirred like the door mechanism that locked him in. The girl, for it was a girl, moved towards Ike's vision.

"Ike?"

...

Zelda leaned forward, listening intently to Ike's story as he told her from behind the bars. When the rattle of keys or boots approached the door, they would scuffle away from each other and stay stock-still until the guard had passed, and continue their conversation. Occasionally Zelda would but in with comments like:

"Wow, how in all of Modia did you get away from that one?"

And:

"Sounds like you've had a pretty tough time, eh?"

But when Ike told her about the strange man with two different coloured eyes, she gasped and drew back as if he had just cursed Palutena's name and all that is good.

"What is it?"

Zelda gulped and took a large, forced breath in, before exhaling again. Her face remained stony and calm, but she was wringing her hands together fiercely.

"That person," she started shakily. "Sounds like a perfect description of a…" Zelda trailed off, afraid to say any more. When she finally screwed up the courage to speak again, her voice came out in a hoarse whisper. "Halfbreed."

Ike stared at her, hoping it was some kind of joke. "A Halfbreed? But we all know they don't exist! They're fairytales told to us as children to make us go to bed on time! Nothing more! Those… _demons_ aren't real. They can't be… right?"

Zelda scoffed and leaned in closer so she could whisper in Ike's ear.

"At school, they teach us lots of things, some which are history. They taught us that Halfbreeds do, in fact, exist. That person you saw was proof enough! They say they have great magic, even more powerful than our own. That would be expected, having Locrian blood in them" Zelda spat on the ground as she said this in obvious disdain. "He stole your sword, you say? Well, that's just what a Halfbreed would do, isn't it. They deserve to be hunted down by the Empire!"

Ike still frowned, only somewhat believing what Zelda had said. A pause, then he spoke.

"But what about the wings?"

"Excuse me?"

"The wings. Halfbreeds are supposed to have wings, because of their Locrian lineage."

"It would make sense if your parent was a birdman," Zelda said slowly, thoughtfully. "I would suppose they would have to hide their identity so they won't be found."

A horrible thought crept into Ike's mind uninvited. "What if," he said. "Halfbreeds live amongst us, in Lyd, and not even the guards can do a thing about it? What if one of the men that I sold a sword to is a Halfbreed? He could be out there right now slaughtering thousands of people under our noses!"

All of a sudden, Ike began to fret. He stood up (He was not bound by chains as Zelda was) and paced around the outskirts of the small room. He mumbled under his breath, which became more laboured and heavy. He at last threw himself on the floor and cried, "I am a traitor!"

Zelda snorted and said something Ike didn't quite catch. "Took you long enough to figure that out. You stole a horse, ran away and resisted Imperial troops, and help me, a fullblood out of Lyd, and you only realise now that you deserve to be in here? Speaking of which, why did you come to find me? I don't even know you!"

Ike paused and the world seemed to slow down as his thoughts swarmed his mind. Why had he followed her here, only to be captured? It wasn't simply the fact that she was full-blood, or that he wanted to see her use magic.

"I'm not entirely sure…" Ike said, frowning. "I think… it was just the injustice of it all. After you told me that story about Talon, well, I never thought of it before, but… I'm beginning to wonder what the Empire is up to. Surely stealing a scroll isn't all they locked you up for. Maybe…" Ike left off his sentence. Zelda picked it up, voicing both of their thoughts.

"The Empire is much more dystopian than we think. I agree. I heard the guards outside talking about the civil war down in Harmonius and Melodius. They were sending troops down there. I have a bad feeling about that…"

Ike bolted upright as the door mechanism whirred again and the doors slowly pulled apart. Were it not for the situation, Ike would have thought they were like old men. Now, they were more like purposeful gatekeepers, restricting him from the world and barring him in. A shuffle of skirts told Ike that Zelda had shuffled away from him as well. A leather boot stepped into the room, followed by the steel uniform of the prison guards. They were, Ike realised, perfectly well protected and had complete manoeuvrability at the same time. They were well equipped.

This guard looked important, perhaps a marshal. His open-faced helmet gleamed brightly and his bushy moustache twitched occasionally, perhaps as he sniffed in disdain or perhaps just an idiosyncrasy. His next sentence proved Ike right.

"I am the prison warden of this floor." He said, in a stately tone that wasted no words and accepted no wasting. "You will address me as the Warden. I am to keep you from ever trying to escape." Although he emphasised the 'ever', his voice never rose nor decreased in volume, and each statement felt like an order.

"I have heard of you, _traitor_. Helping this fullblood. And stealing from one of our best horse dealers. We shall have to wait and see what the judge says about you. And you," The Warden said, now addressing Zelda, who calmly met his gaze, something Ike could not do. "You fullblood, traitorous and dangerous. You almost killed one of my men. You will regret ever crossing with the Dorian Empire. You have a life sentence in this jail, and if any trouble arises, you shall be sent down a floor to the dungeons. Any questions." The Warden briefly locked gazes with the two teens for a moment and swivelled around on his polished boots. "Dismissed."

….

"That warden…" Ike hissed through clenched teeth. "He really irritates me. The way he phrases all his questions like it's an order _really frustrates me!_"

Zelda tutted. "You'd think after a few days of being here that you'd get used to it."

"It takes me a while to adjust, ok? That's why I slept in every inn possible, and I didn't get a wink of sleep!"

"Ike, I'm sure you did get to sleep at some point. We learned at school that-"

"Enough about school already!" Ike practically yelled, waving his arms about his head. "You don't have to rub it in every five minutes that you are richer than some people, alright? Maybe, just maybe, if you'd relied on yourself and paid more attention in the real world, then WE WOULDN'T BE IN THIS MESS!"

Ike immediately bit his tongue and regretted his words, but it was too late. Zelda's face turned from one of slight amusement to one that was innocent and hurt. Her green eyes stared at him through the darkness, the only part of her body fully seen in the shadows.

"Look, I'm sorry-"

Ike was cut off abruptly by the whirring of the door again. Straightening and jumping over to his usual position, he waited, his heart thumping so loud in his chest he was sure the Warden could hear it. On leather boot stepped in…

But the face behind that boot was completely different. Stubble covered most of his chin. His uniform was less silver and more a coppery colour. His boots weren't as long as the Marshal's. but most of all, the eyes looked familiar to Ike…

"Oh, it _is_ you." said the man in an exhausted tone. He pulled the copper helm from his head and shook his smoke-black hair free. "It's me, Snake."

"Whoa, what happened? Why are you… wait, did you come to set us free?"

Snake frowned in confusion and scratched his head. "Us? I thought it was just you. And if you like, I can just close this door…" Snake's hand hovered awfully close to what Ike assumed was the closing mechanism.

"No! No! Just… wait a tick." Ike scrambled to his feet and peered through the bars separating him from Zelda. She was nowhere to be found.

"Hurry up! I don't have to stick my neck out for you, you know!"

Ike frantically called Zelda's name. A shuffle.

"Go ahead. I'll figure out a way to get out. Go and get back to Lyd." Zelda's voice sounded distant, as if she didn't care.

"I can't," Ike said softly. "I won't leave people behind to suffer-"

"Why don't you just save everyone in this prison then?"

"-And besides, I probably won't be too welcome in Lydia anyway. Come on. Is there a door on your side?"

Ike heard Zelda stand up and walk for a bit, then she answered; "Yes."

"Good. Snake, do you think you could let Zelda out too?"

Snake grunted and moved out of Ike's view, behind the door. Ike crept forwards towards the opened door. The light that greeted Ike's eyes stung, but in a good way. He hadn't been outside for days! He stretched his cramped muscles and popped his knuckles. Snake and Zelda approached him, the door to Zelda's cage closing behind them.

"So, where are all the guards?" Ike asked, suddenly noticing how there was nobody but them in the usually busy corridor.

"I created a distraction: a prison riot. There were a few inexperienced guards here that I knocked out with my sword. One of them saw me before I could surprise him though. Got my cheek with a spear." Snake stroked his cheekbone where a nasty red scar lay. "So, what next, commander?"

….

Snake whistled merrily as he approached a guard walking in his direction. He gave a salute, and the other guard stopped for a second, puzzled. However, when Snake reached him, he quickly twisted round, grabbed the sword from the unsuspecting guard's scabbard and held it to his neck. Before the guard opened his lips to scream, Ike jumped out from behind a tapestry and knocked him over the head with the butt of a sword. Snake gently lowered his limp body to the ground and smiled at Ike.

"Good going."

"It was nothing." Ike said with a mock bow.

Snake led them through the twisting corridors, where there were no guards. Some guards lay slumped up against the wall, presumably from when Snake had dealt with them earlier. One of the guards stirred and moaned, but Snake kicked him in the head and he slumped once again on the wall. Snake walked by without a second glance. Zelda, however, pulled Ike back to walk behind Snake, out of earshot.

"Are you sure you can trust this guy?" Zelda whispered. "He doesn't seem like the most honest type."

Ike shrugged slightly. "He seems honest enough. He saved us. He might be a little self-centred, but he saved us when he could have just left us there. I think he can be trusted."

Zelda said no more and swiftly matched Snake's pace, although she looked about from side to side often, wringing her hands together.

"Here, Ike, take this soldier's armour." Snake said all of a sudden, holding a guard uniform he had picked up. Ike took a step back.

"Hang on a tick. I can't just steal some poor guard's armour…"

"Sure you can! This guard is one of the ones trying to kill you remember. He's probably really rich anyway. He deserves it."

Ike gave Snake a dubious look, but nonetheless slid the metal plates over his torso and upper arms. Surprisingly, Ike found the plates rather cumbersome and heavy.

"How do you wear this?" Ike asked, exasperated. Snake smirked and kept on walking.

The sound of footsteps echoed from around the corner. Snake grabbed Zelda's arms and twisted them behind her back in one quick movement, before Ike even had time to react. She let out a small cry of pain and shock before Snake whispered something in her ear. She stopped squirming, and something similar to the expression Ike knew as understanding dawned on her face. She quickly hid that expression with one of forced despair, hanging her head to hide her features. Snake gestured for Ike to get behind him, and so he did. Ike could hear his own heart pounding as the passed the intersection. Hopefully they would miss the guards…

They had no such luck. With a sharp shout, the head of the guards called them over. Not wanting to act suspicious, Ike and Snake led Zelda over to the captain.

"What have we here? Don't you know there's a prison riot outside? All guards on the lower levels should be out there helping the rest of the guards!"

Snake narrowed his dark eyes dangerously. "And what about you?"

The captain was taken aback, used to others obeying his orders without question. He had a full-faced visor pulled down over his face, hiding his features but there was no doubt that he was gaping. Ike inwardly pleaded that the captain would not be too angry with Snake.

"I was just patrolling, looking for any stragglers who mightn't be able to follow orders!"

Snake twitched the corner of his mouth in a half-smirk. "I was just ordered by the Marshal himself to bring this-" Here, he spat, keeping with what was hopefully a decent guard disguise. "-Lydian to her _special quarters._"

The captain fiddled with his collar uncomfortably. "Alright. Go along your business." He said at length, and marched down the opposite corridor, his retinue of guards following him. Ike let out the breath he didn't know he was holding, and Snake grabbed both of their wrists and sharply pulled them down the corridor to the entrance to the prison hold. Ike and Zelda could both hear the yells and screams of both prisoners and guards alike. Snake slowed down his pace.

"I can only get you this far. You're on your own now, kiddo."

And with that, Snake ducked back between the pillars behind them and vanished down the corridor. Ike and Zelda were left for themselves against the whole of the first floor of prisoners.

….

Ike chased Zelda down as she weaved in and out of prisoners, around prison guards and towards the exit. Ike leaned down and picked up a fallen sword without losing his pace. At last Zelda reached the huge monstrous metal gates, and she placed her palms to the cold, hard metal. Ike caught up to her in a moment. There were no guards or prisoners in this particular are of the courtyard.

"What are you going to do?" Ike asked Zelda, but she didn't answer. Instead she was chanting under her breath.

"Uh, Zelda?"

Zelda held up a hand. "Stand back." Ike did so. Then, Zelda began to sing.

This was not like any song Ike had heard before. The words were not in Modian tongue, but in something ancient, something terrifying and powerful. The hair on the back of Ike's neck prickled at hearing the melody. If it could be called that. If one were to ask Ike what he had heard, he would have said that it was haunting, yet dreamy, but he could not sing it again if he tried. The song, or spell, as it was; the electricity in the air proved it was so, rose to a crescendo, and the bars directly in front of Zelda smashed to pieces, shattered metal as brittle as glass falling like rain around them. If any of the prisoners or guards noticed it, they were either too busy or too frightened to see what it was. Zelda and Ike both stepped out of the gate…

And their feet landed in sand.

"Damn! I forgot about the desert! I knew escaping from a high-security prison wouldn't be this easy!" Ike yelled into the sky. But before he could say much more, the slam of metal against metal got his attention. Whipping around, Ike found himself face to face with a man wearing a green tunic, with mouse-brown hair dangling over his cerulean eyes. But most of all, the figure brandished a large, sharp steel sword, which was blocking the hole Zelda had made in the gate.

"I've been expecting you, fullblood and traitor."

...

**So, Snake comes back, then leaves again, and we see this mysterious stranger for the first (Or actually second) time. Cookies to who guesses who it is!**

**Oh, and cookies to anyone who got any of the musical references so far.**

**Keep reviewing, reading, or whatever, and I will hopefully update next week!**


	5. Fermata

**A/N: See my profile page.  
>Sorry for not updating this in the two weekends I could have. I tried, but it never turned out too well.<br>Disclaimer: I only own the Ankaryr language, except the words 'Riolu', 'Cario' and 'Rai'.  
>(Does anyone know how to set apart the AN from the text? It would be better than putting these dots there every time...)**

**Fermata: A pause, where a note is held for longer than indicated.**

**...**

As soon as Ike heard a voice he was not supposed to, his mind paused, as did his body in half-step. He had never heard this voice before. At the word "traitor", Ike flushed crimson and shuddered. At the word "fullblood", uttered with such disrespect, he clenched his teeth and held an arm in front of Zelda.

"What do you want?" He growled as menacingly as he could, though his heart was still pumping so loud Ike swore even the man standing in front of them could hear it. The man sneered and raised the tip of his clean, silver blade to Ike's throat. He gulped.

"You don't seem in much position to bargain," hissed the man. "I am general Link of the 21st division. You are but a prisoner." With that, Link raised his sword, and Ike instinctively ducked down and shut his eyes tight.

_Oh Palutena, I'm going to die, I'm going to die…_

When nothing happened, Ike opened an eye. Link had his sword by his side in a ready position. HE huffed impatiently.

"Well? Pick up your sword! A paladin does not fight an unarmed enemy!"

Ike relaxed a little, not bothering to pick up his sword too quickly.

"I did not say I would not run you through!"

Ike scrambled for the hilt of his sword and stood up, shakily holding his sword in front of him. His jaw was clenching and unclenching tightly, as were his knuckles, slowly becoming whiter and whiter. A sudden wind pulled up some loose sand. Ike closed his eyes for one moment, before realising his mistake and opening them again, getting an eyeful of sand in the process. He coughed and spluttered, and Link chose that moment to strike. He leapt forward with the tip of his blade smoothly sweeping in front of him in an arc.

"Ike, look out!" Zelda cried above the sand. Ike curled around just in time, the tip of the blade stopping an inch from cutting skin. Link wisely decided to draw back his sword before losing balance, and stepped back into a defensive position, his sword flicking easily yet not sloppily. Ike knew he was up against more than some ruffian. This was a trained warrior.

Ike followed Link's suit, falling back and circling, waiting to see who would strike first. He had no idea what to do next. Sword fights with his father never really got this far. Hoping that he could get link off-guard somehow, Ike thrust forwards with his sword. The blade was a lot lighter than he was used to, and he stumbled forwards, easily missing the other warrior.

"What was that? If I made that mistake, I would have been lashed and immediately disbanded from the brotherhood!" Link taunted as he twirled his sword in a flourish that only made Ike's anger and shame worse. Feeling his face flush, Ike whirled and struck at Link, who was expecting it and blocked. Ike snarled and tried again. And again. Each time the only reward was the clang of steel and a smirk from Link. At last, goaded to the very edge, Ike raised his sword above his head for a blow that would surely break through Link's guard. Before the sword even began to make its way down, Ike gasped in pain as a boot collided with his stomach. Or was it the hilt of a sword?

Ike slowly fell to his knees and coughed up blood onto the sand, which soaked it up greedily.

"Had enough, boy?" Link sneered and held his sword point down over Ike's prone body, the ruby of the hilt gleaming into Ike's eyes.

"Never." He spat back at Link. In a sudden burst of inspiration, Ike rolled _towards _Link. While Zelda watched him dubiously, thinking he had lost his mind, Ike stood up and grabbed Link's forearm, the one holding the sword. Link's eyes widened a little. He tried to pry Ike off his arm with his right hand. Ike pushed that one away. He was now holding both of Link's arms out like a cross, and snarled at him.

"I'm nearly 17 years past my birth."

Link formed a little 'o' with his mouth. Then, he smirked.

Ike had no idea why he was smirking. He had both his hands disabled… And then he heard murmuring from where Zelda was standing.

"I wouldn't be smirking if I were you," Ike bluffed. "I obviously have the better position right now."

Link smirked even more, a dangerous glint in his blue eyes. "Ah, but who has the sword?" he asked.

Ike cursed and turned to where his sword had been left on the sand. That was his mistake. With a flick of the wrist, Link was free, and Ike found himself with blood dripping down his neck. For some reason, the pain was dulled, as if he'd just had mead. His vision was slightly fuzzy. Link darted backwards, reeling, preparing to strike again with a blow that would most surely end him then and there.

Chanting suddenly increased in volume as Zelda raised her hands, palms outwards, at Link. With one final word, she unleashed magical energy, which struck Link like a thunderbolt, sending him flying several feet backwards. He landed with a thud and was still.

"Do you think you killed him?" Ike asked at length, when he caught his breath. Zelda didn't bother to answer as she fled away from the prison, the monstrous building that loomed and swallowed all hope and brought despair to the prisoners inside. Together they ran further into the desert, a wind whipping the sand around their ankles and covering their tracks.

...

The hot sun beat down on the pair as they wandered aimlessly through the sea of sand. There was no wind at this time of the day, and no trees for shelter.

"Ike, I don't think we'll make it at this rate. We should just go back to the prison. At least then we'd be alive." Zelda croaked. Ike shook his head.

"There's no way I'm going back to that psychopath Link. They'd kill us anyway." replied Ike. "We might as well keep going. Perhaps people live out here!"

Zelda refrained from saying that the climate was most certainly uninhabitable for humans to live in. Perhaps not Halfbreeds, but definitely humans.

After a while of walking, Ike could feel his energy seeping out of him and into the hot sand on his bare feet. The clothes the prison made him wear were becoming more and more uncomfortable, filling with sand. Zelda looked no less comfortable herself. His throat was becoming parched, dry and rough. Swallowing became difficult. At last, his legs gave way like great trees being felled, and his head hit the sand, and he lay there for an eternity, as the sun fell behind a dune of sand and he was at rest once more.

….

"Ahh, Riolu-cario, we have a problem…"

"What is it, Rai-ka?"

"Come see."

Silence. Shuffling.

"Travellers? No. I think not. Prison uniforms…"

"What should we do, Riolu-cario?"

"Come, let us take them home."

"But Riolu-"

"Any man found on this desert floor is to be our guests until proven otherwise. Come, Rai-ka."

"But-"

"You oppose the Riolu the Ankaryr tribe?"

"No-"

"Then pick him up and come."

That was what Ike heard as he felt himself picked up and jolted up and down. His throat was beyond stinging now, and his eyes felt so heavy they were stuck together.

"Careful! I am not wanting them to be damaged!"

"Sorry, Riolu-cario."

Ike tried to groan in pain as he was jostled about like a sack of potatoes. At that moment, he knew what it must feel like to be an old man.

"Riolu-cario, we have arrived. Your wishes…?"

"Take them to the empty tent. I will be seeing them later."

Ike was roughly deposited on the barren earth. The men left him then, and Ike could at last sleep peacefully, without the sun beating down on him.

….

Ike felt something cold splash his face. At first he wanted to pull away, but he welcomed the cool water against his burned, dry skin. He tried to pool as much as he could into his mouth, but his tongue was heavy. A trickle of water, a canteen, was lifted to his lips, the water trickling down his throat, soothing the pain. He tried to take in more, but the canteen was lifted away from him as quickly as it came.

"Ah, _krishk_, do not have too much." Said a woman's voice from somewhere above him… beside him.

Ike sat up, but he could only bring himself half way. He propped himself up on his elbows and opened his cracked eyes to take in his surroundings.

He was in a tent, resting on what was presumably straw, or some kind of vegetation. Next to him was a dark-skinned woman wearing a cloth around her head and entire body, with only her eyes peeking through. They were a weary grey colour.

"_Krishk_, lay down. Do not expend your energy, young _Kathul._"

Ike mumbled something incoherent and lay back down. He sat up as soon as his back touched the makeshift bed, immediately wished he hadn't done so.

"My… friend," Ike managed to croak louder than a whisper. "Zelda… she's…"

The woman pressed Ike gently down and exited the tent, but not before holding her index finger up in a motion that Ike presumed meant 'stay'.

Ike did stay, and several moments later the woman came back, with Zelda in tow. Although she looked tired and worn from the desert and prison, the new clothes she had been presented with were a nice change from the drab prison uniforms. It was similar to the robe the woman wore, only underneath she wore leggings like the ones she had worn originally when Ike first saw her in Lyd. The thought of Lyd brought back memories in Ike's mind that he pushed down, deep down, so he wouldn't shed any tears in front of them.

"Ike?" Zelda walked over to Ike's bed and knelt down so she was in line with him.

"Do not," the woman warned her. "He needs sleep. _Hanal._" The woman accented this last word, accentuating it by resting her head on her hands in an imitation of sleep.

"Go. _Neftyr_ will care him."

Zelda nodded and left the tent. The woman crouched by Ike, and pointed to herself, saying, "_Neftyr_."

Ike frowned. "Your name… is Neftyr?"

"No!" the woman laughed, as if it was a great joke. "I _am_ Neftyr. No need for name. You are _Kathul_. I am _Neftyr._"

Ike was no less confused when the woman finished her explanation, but nodded anyway.

"Water?" asked the woman.

….

Two days later, and Ike was on his feet again, without any help. He no longer felt parched, but he was quite weak and hungry. He was amazed at how well Zelda recovered. When he approached one woman to ask her about it, she laughed and said, "She is _Yrjji_! They have _Majji_!"

Zelda only shrugged and explained that she knew as much as he, but assumed that it was her full Lydian blood that enabled her to survive, and that a _Yrjji_ was a magic-user.

That night, the people of the desert, who called themselves the _Ankaryr_ tribe, celebrate a feast around a fire. The desert was surprisingly cool at night, in fact, it was so cold that Ike had to wrap a blanket around himself to keep a regular temperature. He was surprised at how much the temperature fluctuated. This was the only time the tribe came out of the mass of tents all connected by a roof of skins. One man approached Ike, with a large tattoo covering on side of his face, a mass of angular symbols and lines.

"Greetings, _Kathul._" He said to Ike.

"My name is Ike." Ike said slowly. The man grinned.

"It is not polite to call a guest or a stranger by their first name. I call you _Kathul_, means traveller or adventurer." This man, Ike decided, had better understanding of the civilised language.

"What can I call you?"

"You," the man flourished and bowed. "May call me _Riolu-cario_. Riolu, my job, means tribe leader. Cario, is status, means son of wealthy."

Ike bowed back, as he expected he would have to. "Pleasure to meet you, Riolu-cario."

The Riolu waited till Ike stood up straight, and then twisted his arms so his palms faced each other, but his hands were on top of each other, facing sidewards. Then he indicated for Ike to keep his top hand outstretched while his bottom hand curled into a fist. Then he bowed.

"Shows respect," The Riolu said. "For someone who is upper than you. Riolu-cario," he pointed to himself, then to Ike. "_Kathul_."

"Do I get a status name?" Ike asked, not wanting to sound so inferior to the Riolu. The taller man shrugged.

"Your fathers work?"

"A blacksmith, he made weapons and armour."

"Ah!" the Riolu exclaimed. "A _Ramyr_! We have not one. Are you a _Ramyr_?"

Ike had no idea what a Ramyr was, but thought it was some kind of metal-worker.

"I… might be…"

The man clapped his hands. "Would you think about becoming us? _Anka_r would be pleased with you. _Ramh yr aharamh Bethtlyr!_ Would you? _Ramyr_ are high classed!"

Ike shook his head. "A tempting offer, but unfortunately, I must go back to my own home. In Lydia. I have already spent a day too long here." Looking at the blank face on the Riolu, Ike offered, "There are magic people like Zelda there."

"Zelda is your friend, no? The _Yrjji_? The person of magic? Well, a group of _Rai,_ my best guards and soldiers, can help you to desert's end, but must stop there. Keep going that way, you find your home. _Ymidd-Majji._"

The very next day, Ike and Zelda were fitted with proper travelling clothes, the kind the guards used, and each given a weapon. Ike was given a curved sword matching scabbard. The hilt of the sword had real gold and the metalwork was flawless and weighted, yet light. Zelda was given a small, delicately curved bow, with a quiver full of ten red-shafted arrows. After thanking the Riolu, the pair set off from the camp with four guards, towards the horizon, away from the setting sun.

**...**

**Yes, the last bit was necessary, if only to equip our heroes with proper weapons and send them on their way again. It comes in again later on in the story.  
>If anyone really cared, here's a list of commonly used Ankaryr words:<strong>

**-_Yr_ means person or people of,  
>-<em>Krishk<em> means something along the lines of have patience or be quiet, is said to little children when they are annoying  
>-<em>Hanal <em>means not living/awake (In other words, sleeping and dead) Adding an i makes it sleep and death. The _Hanal Mirav_ is the ceremony of death, or death ritual, like a tribal funeral. You might want to remember that.  
>-<em>Majji<em> means magic  
>-<em>Neft <em>means to heal  
>-<em>Ramh<em> means weapons or fight  
>-<em>Ymidd<em> is a birthplace  
>-Adding <em>Yr<em> to a word makes it a person of said proffesion. Eg: _Neftyr_, a person of healing. _Yrjji_ is different, because magic isn't a proffesion, but a birthright. It literally means 'magical person'. It is adopted, as Ankaryr are not magic users.  
>-<em>Rai<em> means guardian or soldier, derived from the god of protection, _Rah  
>-Ka<em> means a middle-class son.  
>-The Ankaryr tribe is named after the supreme goddess of the desert, Ankar, also mentioned by Riolu-cario.<br>-The phrase spoken by the Riolu, "_Ramh yr aharamh Bethtlyr!"_ literally means "People fight and war the tribe of Betht!", also meaning "People must fight against Bethtlyr!" _Ramh_ is weapon/fight, _yr _is people in this case,_ aharamh_ means war against, or the action of warring, and the Bethtlyr are another desert tribe.**

**As always, review, and read on!**


	6. Countermelody

**A/N: See profile.**

**Sorry for the wait. Please enjoy the chapter. And do check out my poll. It is somewhat important**

**Counter-melody: Something played by a second instrument that is similar to, bt different, and usually played after, the melody.**

...

Both Ike and Zelda found the journey to the end of the desert boring and monotonous. Walking in the sand was much harder than walking on flat ground, so that took at least half a day out of their travel time. On the second day, a fierce sandstorm halted their progress and forced them to hide in an improvised sand bunker. In all, it took three days to reach land that wasn't completely covered in sand.

During that time, Ike and Zelda both had their thoughts to themselves. The guards the Riolu had posted with them were not in the mood for conversation, and Zelda didn't particularly wish to talk at all, so they remained silent.

Ike's thoughts mainly drifted back to his home. Would his father be there? Would the guards still try to capture him? Ike knew they would, considering he had just broken out of prison. Should he even bother going home?

One thought, however drifted through his mind. Why did the Empire care so much? Was being a full blood really so important? Was it so important that the Empire would chase them to the ends of the earth?

Zelda, too, was thinking such thoughts too, but as she trudged along after the escort party through the fine reddish sand, her mind seemed to wander to the sought, where a black smudge lay on the horizon, only visible because of the angle of the sun. It was Locrian, the dark forest. Locrian, a place of nightmares, the source of stories that parents told naughty children to teach them to behave.

_Don't steal or the bird-men will come and peck your eyes out._

It was also possibly the only place untouched by humanity, including the empire.

"Uh, Ike, can I speak with you?" Zelda asked, pulling him aside. Ike slowed his pace to match hers and gave her his attention.

"Well, Ike, I was thinking. We are fugitives running from an Empire spanning nearly as much as Lydia itself, with guards that seem to be able to follow us everywhere if they so wish…"

"Yes, Zelda, I have become aware of that, what with them trying to lock us behind bars," Ike said. "and I don't like how I had to leave home for so long. I almost miss having that crowded city around me."

"You didn't have to come and get me." Zelda pointed out.

"I know." Ike stated simply. Zelda waited for him to elaborate, but when he didn't, she went on.

"Are you certain we can just run back home after being locked up in jail? To do that, we'll have to cross Dorland, home of the Empire itself. Are you sure you want to do this?"

"What other option is there?" he asked bluntly. Zelda shrugged, but found herself looking towards the dark forest.

"Locrian? The dark forest? You can't be serious!"

Zelda's face all of a sudden lit up. "I have an idea-"

"If it involves going in that nightmare of a forest, I'm out. Being eaten alive by giant spiders is not my way to die."

"Ike," Zelda sighed loudly, attracting more than a little attention from their Ankaryr escort. "You now most of that stuff is made up anyway. We have no way to prove that giant spiders or walking trees live in there. And besides, if they did, they'd be in the centre of the forest, otherwise scholars who have surveyed the territory of the forest would have been swallowed alive."

And so Zelda began to tell Ike her plan for their escape.

….

A lone man limped across sand. A track was left behind him; one footstep, a scrape, one footstep, a scrape, along the hardened sand. He was sick of yellow. He was certain that this bad luck was a test of some kind. A test from the god above.

Yes, a test.

If he could survive this test, perhaps he would be knighted paladin. Perhaps he would not be looked down upon by his peers.

No, don't think that. You must only care for your god, should he damn you to eternity in hell. Or something similar.

He wiped his forehead for the umpteenth time, feebly attempting to get his mouse-brown hair out of his eyes. They stung. His throat was parched. His legs were about to give way any moment. But wait! What was this? A footprint in the sand, were water must have leaked to form a semi-mud. That must surely mean that his quarry were not far in front.

Ah, yes. A chance to redeem himself. To help his emperor.

….

The Ankaryr guards saw the two off safely. Where the dunes grew large, and the sand grew sparse, that was where they left them. Ike fiddled with his pack for a little while longer, simply for the sake of stalling for time. Inside his pack was a roll for sleeping, a tinderbox, some rations and what he thought was a torch. Doubtless Zelda's pack held the same.

"Ike, are you ready? I want to get out of this forsaken desert! I want to go home!"

"I know, Zelda. The blasted sand in my shoes is starting to irritate me!"

Zelda didn't bother to strike up another conversation, so Ike shut his mouth. Although they had left the heat of the desert long ago, the sun bore down on their backs unlike it ever had in Lydia.

Home.

Ike was beginning to doubt he would ever be able to see his home again. After all, the Empire had an uncanny knack for finding them at the worst of moments. And so far, they had not done anything in their favour.

Ike scrunched up his brow.

He didn't really want to be branded as a traitor.

He just wanted to know what was going on.

And it seemed that the Emperor didn't want him to know.

Ike was finally forced to rest his feet as he slumped down on the ground. Zelda slid her pack off her back and lay in the grass that had started to sprinkle itself on the dirt and sand. The sun was high, the polar opposite of their current spirits.

"Zelda…" Ike started when he took a swig of his water to wet his dry throat. "When we get back…. Do you have anyone waiting for you?"

Zelda shifted on her side. Her face didn't show any remorse or even regret, and she kept her tone flat and factual. "I go to a boarding school. My parents pay for my schooling and I sleep, work and eat at school. The only days I get off are Sundays and festivals."

"Oh." Ike said. A thick silence followed. "So, what about the Empire?"

"What about them?"

"Well, you know, why they are trying so hard to catch us… or why they put us in jail for simply resisting. I just don't get it!"

"At school," Zelda said pompously. "We learned that countries attempting to enforce rules inside another country cannot do so, except by leave of the country in question's leader."

"The king? But he just stays holed up in his castle all day!"

"Ah, are you anti-monarchy then?"

"No, it's just…. Yea, almost. We've sent appeal after appeal to the king, but all we get in return are 'We are sorry, but this appeal could not be realised, please try again another time'*."

Zelda sighed in a condescending way that only served to stoke Ike's aggravation. "You know His Majesty doesn't have time to read _every_ appeal. What exactly were you appealing for?

"… Money." At the look Zelda gave him, Ike threw up his hands. "Hey, after my mother disappeared, we didn't get very good business. We only had one shop, and not many people buy weapons and armour these days. We just stopped even bothering. But now, it seems that all of a sudden guards are showing up more and more often to by a sword, or an axe, or some armour."

"I'm sorry." Zelda said at length. Ike grunted and picked up his pack again. He shoved the rest of what he was eating into it and lifted his canteen to his lips. He took a few sips and replaced the cap.

"We need to stop somewhere. My canteen's getting on the low side."

Ike and Zelda said nothing more as they trudged through the low hills, only hoping that they'd soon be home. Nothing would ever be that easy, however.

...

**OK, sorry for the wait and the crapiness of this chapter, but someone was rushing me, and I felt I had to develop plot/character/story more. Wait for next chapter, because next chapter includes some death, violence and more than a few drunkards. ;)**

**See you then.**


	7. Dissonance

**Hi, and thanks for reading thus far. I'm sorry for the wait, but I got caught up writing another story I haven't updated for months and my internet stuffed up yesterday so here I am now. This chapter is short because:  
>a) I wanted to get something up and<br>b) I wanted to end on a cliffhanger because next chapter kinda changes from the tense at the end and I hate doing that in one chapter.**

**So, due to the lack of results on my poll, I'll give you all a second chance. One person voted for "Getting Ike's sword back/wanting that Half-breed dead" so this is it. However, I won't say if he's dead or not. If you're confused, read the chronicles of an age of darkness. I just finished book 8 in a day yesterday. I believe my writing style changes halfway through, and that's why.**

**Enjoy!**

**Dissonance: A harsh, unnatural chord that does not sound finished until it resolves to a harmonius chord.**

**...**

"Where to?"

Ike was trying to fit his camping roll in his rucksack when Zelda asked the question. He paused in his work, standing up and stretching his back.

"Home, of course." He replied simply. "Where else?"

Ike continued to pack his bag, stomping on the still-warm embers of the fire and watching the smoke rise lazily into the air, squinting against the sun. The skies were a clear pale blue, like one giant blue orb floating in the air. Ike wondered how the air got so clear and the sun rose so early here. Zelda was not as easy-going as Ike. Even as they began their journey for the day, she had an awful feeling in the pit of her stomach, like when a spellcaster nearby was about to sing a Spell. She did not like the feeling.

….

Ike felt his stomach growl. Checking his pack, he saw that all the rations the desert people had given them were gone, and his canteen only had one more sip–full of water in it. _S_urprisingly, Ike didn't feel dry and parched as he did in the desert. _It must be the clear air_ he thought.

"We have to stop in at a town as soon as possible." He announced. Zelda nodded absently and kept walking over the rocky terrain. Patches of grass here and there made the rocks more painful than ever to walk on. "I need some new shoes, too." Ike bemoaned, rubbing his toes.

A little while later, Ike groaned.

"Why are there no towns anywhere?"

"It's probably," Zelda said matter-of-factly. "Because the desert is still so close. That, and the ground isn't very flat." She added after stepping on a particularly sharp stone. And just then, a house appeared in front of them. No, it wasn't a house, but an inn or tavern of some kind. Smoke rose from its roof in a homey way, despite the shabby outwards appearance of the rotting timbers.

"Let's stop there!" Ike pointed towards the shack.

"I don't know…" Zelda said timidly. "This place doesn't feel right. That, and it only seems logical that you shouldn't trust buildings that appear out of nowhere."

"True."

And the two walked on past it, never to see it again.

Of course, this shabby old inn was the nefarious Travelling Inn, the work of some mad spell caster of ages long past. And, little did they know, someone was in there waiting for them.

"Ike, does it feel like someone's watching us?" Zelda asked.

"No." Ike said.

"Oh."

They walked on in silence for a little while longer, and then Zelda stopped.

"What is it?" Ike said, exasperated. Zelda held up a hand.

"I think we learned a Spell in school…" Zelda closed her eyes and rubbed her temples with her forefingers. "A Spell for danger! Ah, yes! I remember it now! It helps to locate any intelligent minds within the area…"

And Zelda began to sing again. This time, instead of an actual melody, it was more like a chant, low and droning. Ike waited for a while, much longer than the Spell Zelda used at Scalhi. At last, Zelda stopped,, for a second, then she opened her eyes.

"That's funny," She said. "There's someone behind-"

And with that, she was knocked to the ground, well and truly down and out. Ike looked up at the offender, drawing his sword. At least, he tried to, but he wasn't used to the strange curved sword the desert people gave him. The offender had a cloak on, with a hood that fell back on his shoulders. It was dark inky black. The man held in his hands a familiar rapier… and on his back was strapped Ike's sword. Ike's eyes widened as he looked into the man's eyes. One was a muddy brown, the other: a bright green.

"You!" Ike hissed. The stranger stayed as stony faced as ever, but advanced on him. Ike knew he didn't stand a chance if the stranger decided to all-out attack him. If he could use magic… well, Ike didn't want to think about that. Then the stranger spoke.

"Well, if it isn't the treacherous wanted man," He said in a voice like the grindstone at his father's smith. "The Aeolian born Lydian."

"How do you know about that?" Ike asked belatedly.

"Who doesn't?" The man answered wryly.

"Pah, I shouldn't trust you. Half-breeds. Scourge." Ike would have gone on, but he wasn't one to listen to gossip or his father during history lessons. The man didn't flinch, but stopped speaking and lifted his sword horizontally in the air, in line with Ike's throat. Ike knew what this meant. A duel or death. Normally, it would be accompanied by the phrase "_Ila minth, aloh roth."_ Which, in ancient Lydian, translated something akin to "Sharp swords, or cut throats." However, the Half-breed was stoic and silent. Ike felt he had no choice but to lift his sword against the man's, the flat of each blade resting on the other. Slowly, the two brought their swords down and resting the tip on the grass, as was customary in Lydia. Sweat trickled down Ike's brow as he waited. And waited. Ike swore his heart was beating faster, louder, so loud it would escape his chest. His father taught him about duels, about the theory, but theory is nothing compared to practise.

Then, the blade recoiled, twisted, and darted out like a silver snake.

Ike barely had time to register its movement with his eyes before instinct made him duck back. The sharp point of the rapier cut through his cheekbone to his ear. The cut didn't feel very deep, more of a graze, but sticky lifeblood trickled down his cheek and into his mouth as the fight wore on.

Ike tried a swipe at the man, but he forgot to take into account the curvature of the blade, and missed by a long shot. The Half-breed didn't even waste a beat as he lunged again, bringing his knee forward for extra force. There was nothing Ike could do besides lower his sword in hopes that the flat of the blade would deflect the lunge. It did.

And thus it was that Ike began to feel invincible.

Normally, in small doses, cockiness is actually an asset rather than a setback. However, prolonged usage can cause foolish mistakes.

Ike made one of these mistakes.

He spent just one second less time than he should have to think of his next move, unfortunately, Ike was not trained in the sword art of Chroma and did not treat it like a dance, as the Half-breed did. And so, Ike swept his blade horizontally, the man jumped to the side and spun, catching Ike off-guard as he was bringing his sword down. The rapier was not made for cutting, instead for thrusting, but the cut was deep, though narrow. It tore through the flesh of his sword arm, making it useless. The sword Ike was holding clattered to the ground and he doubled over in pain, forgetting about the Half-breed standing with his rapier to Ike's neck.

"Hoy! Travellers! Pickin' a fight, are we?"

It was a troop of guards. Imperial guards on horses. The leader spoke again.

"Get your feud over an' done with somewhere else. We don't need-" Then he broke off. The Half-breed locked him in the eyes.

"Half-breed…"

There was a silence which Zelda woke up to witness. She moved as quietly and inconspicuously as she could while attention was on the Half-breed behind the horses. She didn't get far before the leader jumped off his horse, drew his sword and let out a battle-cry. Two others followed suit. The rest who were still on horses cantered over to the opposite side to block off the Half-breed's escape route.

Ike could barely see all of this for the dust kicked up by the horses and men, but felt someone grip his wrist hard. He followed the person out of the dust cloud, coughing and spluttering.

"Run. Go." Said the Half-breed. Ike took his advice and ran, before the guards surrounded the man. Zelda ran up to his side.

"Come on, Ike! Let's get out of here!"

He obliged, ignoring the ache in his upper arm which was dangling by his side. Together, they sprinted away, away from those who wanted to kill them so badly. Or, they started to, before Ike stopped mid-stride.

"My sword!" He cried. "That dirty Half-breed took my sword! You have no idea how long it took me to make that thing."

Though Zelda tried pulling him back, Ike raced on anyway, backtracking his way to the Imperial guards. There his sword was, glistening gold underneath the tree. He ducked in and grabbed it. No one noticed him. They were too busy with the Half-breed to even bother with him.

"Ike! Quick!"

So Ike quickened his pace, catching up with Zelda and running, running, till his legs could run no more.

….

The village of Tempton was quiet one. It bordered Melodius, and many a weary traveller or battle-hardened warrior would stumble through its gates. And, of course, there was the matter of Travelling Inn, a place no right man would wander into. It was mysterious, anomalous, but the people of the village took it for granted.

So, it wasn't all too surprising for them when two young travellers stumbled into town, asking for food and lodgings and something for the young man's arm. There was but one tavern, and that only had four rooms, but it was enough.

Down at the bar, the two travellers ate in silence, clearly undernourished. One drunken man asked for a story. He was not native to the village, or he would not have probed so. That, and he had gorged himself on ale beforehand. So, the young man spun a tale, with the green-eyed girl chipping in from time to time, of travellers from Lydia who were falsely accused of treason and locked up in a desert prison, to rot for all eternity, if it weren't for a cunning hero, who let them escape. The travellers found themselves fighting all kinds of mythical and real monsters, even a Half-breed.

"That's… crazy talk! Half-breeds aren't real!" Protested one of the members of the audience.

"Nah, it's just a story." Said another.

"Nay, a story it may be, but Half-breeds are real alright."

The company collectively turned to face this new stranger. He was sitting at a table on the opposite side of the room, when he overheard the conversation.

"After all, my father was one."

**...**

**Short, but I have the rest of the chapter and will upload as soon as I can. The next one will be longer and actually features two parties... Okay, no spoilers. Just hang in there, okay? And vote on my poll so I know where to go.**

**See you then.**


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